1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a receptacle for plastic shopping bags, and in particular to an attractive, easy to use receptacle for plastic shopping bags in the shape of a doll.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many people accumulate the plastic shopping bags which are a byproduct of grocery shopping for various reasons. These plastic shopping bags, being of a relatively small size, are often found to be suitable for other uses such as lining small trash cans, disposing of cat litter, etc. Also, many supermarkets encourage the recycling of plastic shopping bags, and those persons who return their plastic bags for recycling usually tend to amass a large number before doing so. People generally store these accumulated plastic bags in a haphazard manner, for example, by folding or crumpling them and placing them in a drawer in the kitchen. As a result, there is a need in the art for a suitably convenient means for storing plastic shopping bags for subsequent use or return to the supermarket for recycling. It is also generally recognized that decorative figures such as dolls appeal to many people, primarily women and children. The related art describes receptacles or article holders combined with decorative figures, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,950, which describes an article holder that includes a hollow container and a decorative figure removably mounted in a support member housed within the container. The present invention is directed toward solving the need for a receptacle for plastic shopping bags by providing an attractive doll-shaped receptacle for plastic shopping bags and similar articles wherein the plastic bags are removably stored within a skirt worn by a doll.